About Us
Founded in 1944, the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science develops philanthropic support for the Weizmann Institute in Israel, and advances its mission of science for the benefit of humanity.
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—February 25, 2021—Around 2.5 billion years ago, our planet experienced what was possibly the greatest change in its history: According to the geological record, molecular oxygen suddenly went from nonexistent to becoming freely available everywhere. Evidence for what is called the Great Oxygenation Event (GOE) is clearly visible – for example, in banded iron formations containing oxidized iron. The GOE is, of course, what allowed oxygen-using organisms – including, eventually, us – to evolve. But was it indeed a “great event” in the sense that the change was radical and sudden, or were organisms that were alive at the time already using free oxygen, just at lower levels?
February 25, 2021
This webinar introduces Weizmann’s flagship Frontiers of the Universe initiative. Frontiers of the Universe will advance the Institute’s pioneering efforts to understand the nature of space, time, and life itself—from the tiniest subatomic particles to the largest galaxies.
January 28, 2021
The centuries-old Santorini volcanic eruption has been extensively studied, but there is no agreement on when it happened. The Jerusalem Post reports that Prof. Elisabetta Boaretto has used novel methodologies to date a single olive branch and help reconcile theories.
January 13, 2021
In this special session, Prof. Avishay Gal-Yam, Weizmann’s supernova hunter, takes us to the Frontiers of the Universe: one of the Institute’s new flagship projects. From studying the tiniest subatomic particles to the far reaches of the galaxy, this initiative aims to put the Institute at the very forefront of advanced physics research – and even into space.
January 12, 2021
Scientific American writes about quantum jumps, an unsolved problem in quantum physics – and the finding by Weizmann scientists that models the “step-by-step, cradle-to-grave evolution of quantum jumps.”
December 29, 2020
On December 21, 2020, stargazers are in for a once-in-a-lifetime cosmic event: Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer together than at any time in almost 400 years, in an event known as a great conjunction. Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions happen every 20 years. But this year’s happening will be the closest the planets have come since 1623. In this video, Ilan Manulis, Director of the Weizmann Institute’s Martin S. Kraar Observatory explains the science behind this celestial event and shares how to watch it.
December 18, 2020
A team of astrophysicists, including Prof. Oded Aharonson, has found that micro “cold traps” could contain up to 20% of the Moon’s ice, making water more accessible for lunar crafts. SpaceRef reports.
October 27, 2020
Quanta Magazine addresses one of quantum mechanics’ “strangest phenomena”: quantum tunneling. Physicists such as Weizmann’s Prof. Eli Pollak discuss new research on the mind-bending action.
October 20, 2020
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—October 5, 2020—Our ancestors not only knew how to use fire, they also developed sophisticated technologies for making tools. Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science recently employed cutting-edge technologies of their own to take a fresh look at a collection of stone tools.
October 05, 2020
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